Automatic sliver severing apparatus



Nov. 21, 1967 B. w. GOSSETT ETAL 3,353,224

AUTOMATIC SLIVER SEVERING APPARATUS Filed July 29, 1965 5 sheets-sheet@ mNL N INVENTORS BRYANT W. Gosser ce C. Henson ATTORIEY m0 AuRl rllllllnl- Nov. 21, 1957 B. w. GossETT ETAL 3,353,224

AAUTOMATIC SLIVER SEVERING APPARATUS Filed July 29, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 'l I Il nvx/ErvToRr RYAHT WGOSVSETT n@ MAURICE C. Henson: BY @nl ATTORNEYY NOV- 2L 3967 B. w. GossETT ETAL 3,353,224

` AUTOMATIC sLIvER SEVERING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-sheet 5 Filed July 29, 1965 INVENTORS.' /YANT W. GossETT AS MAURICE C. Henson A OREY United States Patent Oiiice Patented Nov. 21, 1967 ABSTRACT or THE DISCLOSURE Sliver severing apparatus for textile coilers where a filled can of compressed sliver is laterally removed from sliver-receiving position by a contiguous empty can during coiler operation to provide a connecting sliver length between the cans. Subsequently, this length is moved transversely into engagement with a combined subdividing and shearing device at a fixed location adjacent the path of can movement. The connecting length may be increased by tilting the removed can and also by permitting its compressed contents to expand upwardly.

This invention relates to strand severing apparatus and 'more especially to a sliver shearing device for use in combination with an automatic can doin-g and replenishin-g operation of a textile coiler.

The present invention has demonstrated a relatively higher degree of eiiiciency in severing long staple syntheic sliver strands possessing a high tensile strength and Where severance is impractical and often impossible when employing conventional breaking, cutting or shearing means such as, for example, the shearing and, breaking devices shown in the British Patent No. 962,535 of 1964v and the U.S. Patent No. 3,134,144. Such prior art devices are primarily designed for the severance of sliver strands having cross-sections sufficiently small as may be sheared without iirst modifying the cross-sectional shape, or broken by, applying only a small increased tensile stress.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a sliver strand severing apparatus in which the cross-section of the strand is modified by subdividing it into a plurality of spaced -cross-sectional -segments prior to or concurrently with the severing operation.

l It is another object of invention 'to provide a severing apparatus of the class described in combination with an improved means for isolating and presentingthe subdivided segments to the severing elements.

' It is still another object of invention to provide a sliver strand severing apparatus of the type described in the preceding paragraph wherein the strand length between adjacent coiler cans or containers is increased during a can changing operation to thereby facilitate the isolation of said length preparatory to positioning and severing it.

Some of the objects of invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with t'ne accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the invention operatively associated with a textile sliver strand coiler and can changing mechanism;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional plan view taken along line 2 2 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 3 3 in FIGURE 1; l

FIGURE 4 is an elevational view of the opposite side of a portion of the structure shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged view of certain portions of the sliver strand positioning, subdividing, and shearing elements shown on a smaller scale in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a sectional detail view taken along line 6 6 in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view along line 7 7 in FIG- URE 5, and

FIGURE 8 is a schematic wiring diagram of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the. numeral 10 broadly denotes a conventional textile coiler mechanism and the numeral 11 similarly denotes a portion of an automatic can doiiing and replenishing mechanism, Iboth of said mechanisms being further illustrated and described in our copending patent application Ser. No. 281,739, now Patent No. 3,214,799.

A strand of sliver 14 passes ,in a well-known manner from calender rolls 15 and 16 (FIGURE 3) at the delivery end of a carding engine, draw frame or similar sliver processing machine (not shown), then upwardly over guide 17, downwardly through trumpet 18, between drawing rolls 19, and throu-gh inclined tube 20 of coiler head 21 where the strand is received by a can or container 22 removably positioned beneath said head.

Container 22 is supported upon plate 23 disposed vertically ybeneath the coiler head and rotatably mounted in a bearing 24 in coiler base 25. `Conventional balls or similar antifriction means 26 are attached to the bottom of container 22 and iit in recesses 23a of plate 23 to hold the container ina stable sliver-receiving position. Plate 23 is rotated by suitable means such as upright shaft 30 and a series of intermediate intermeshing gears 31, 32 and 33, said shaft 30 being driven by a pair of intermeshing gears 34 and 3S and a horizontally disposed shaft 36 extending from the lower calenderroll 16 (FIGURE 3)'.

Plate 23 is substantially ush-top and alined with the bottom 37 of a chute 38 (FIGURES 1 and 2), which chute maintains an empty reserve or replenishing container in position A, a second container in position B in sliverreceiving position, and a third doffed container in position C during operation of the coiler 10 (FIGURE- 1). For example, when the container 22 in position B is filled with sliver 14, an intermittently operable reciprocable pusher member `40 engages the empty replenishing container 22 in position A and pushes both contiguous containers to the right in FIGURE 1 until the 'container in position A occupies position B and the can 1n position B substantially occupies position C as more fully described in our copending application Ser. No. 281,739, now Patent No. 3,214,799.

The present invention comprises apparatus for severing'the sliver strand 14 intermediate adjacent containers 2 2 1n positions B and C without interrupting the operation of coiler 10 and associated sliver processing machinery. Broadly stated, the invention includes a sliver strand positioning mechanism 42 (FIGURE v3), a combined strand subdividing and shearing mechanism 43 (FIGURES 3 and 5), and :an electro-magnetic control system 44 (FIGURE 8) for automatically operating mechanisms 42 and 43 when a container 22 is being moved from position B to position C.

Y More specically, the strand positioning mechanism 42 comprises a chain 45 mounted upon spaced sprockets 46 above Aand substantially midway between container positions B and C (FIGURES 1 and 4), said chain having at least one hook 47 pivotally secured thereto as at 48 for transversely engaging strand 14 midway between said .positions B and C (FIG. l). The chain 45, sprockets 46, and hooks 47 Iare positioned substantially in a vertically plane disposed transversely of the path of movement of containers 22. Positioning mechanism 42 is supported upon the coiler head 21 above its bottom surface 21a as at 49 (FIGURES 3 and 4).

Positioning mechanism 42 is driven by electric motor 53 through an intermediate driving connection (FIG- URES 3 and 4), said connection including gears 54 and 55, horizontal shaft 56, worm gear 57, gear 58, vertical shaft 59, beveled gears 60 and 61, and horizontal shaft 62.

' The strand subdividing and shearing mechanism 43 is located laterally adjacent the path of movement of the containers 22 (FIGURE 3) and between the container positions B and C (FIGURES 1 and 4). Specifically, the mechanism 43 includes a stationary toothed bar 65 secured as at 66 to housing 43a of positioning mechanism 42, said bar having a second toothed bar 67 mounted for vertical reciprocation thereon by means of stud screws `68. The screws 68 penetrate slots 69 in the second bar 67 and are threadably secured in stationary bar 65 (FIG- URES 3, and 6). Slots 69 are tapered as at 69a to prcvent lint from packing in the slots during operation.

The stationary lbar 65 has integral therewith a vertical row of horizontally extending teeth 72, said teeth being positioned substantially parallel to the path of travel of fingers 47. During operation, the two fingers 47 transversely engage strand 14 at spaced points respectively on opposite sides of mechanism 43 (FIGURE 4) and move the engaged portion to a point laterally adjacent the path of movement of containers 22 and into contact with spaced stationary teeth 72 as shown in FIGURE 5 preparatory to the separation or division of the strand into spaced cross-sectional segments by said teeth.

It will be observed that each of the stationary spaced teeth 72 is tapered to a -point facing the approaching strand portion engaged by fingers 47. Thus, the strand 14 will be subdivided into spaced segments when advanced farther to the right from the position shown in FIGURE 5. The cross-sectional strand segments prior to subdivision are indicated by spaces a through lc in FIGURE 5.

It will be further observed that reciprocable bar 67 has integral therewith a plurality of tapered horizontally disposed teeth 73 which are slidably mounted in face-toface relationship lagainst teeth 72. Teeth 72 and 73 have cooperating shearing lor cutting edges in the plane 74 of their proximate faces (FIGURE 6) so that the subdivided strand segments will be sheared when bar 67 is reciprocated. Moreover, the subdividing teeth 72 are more closely spaced than the cooperating teeth 73 and therefore several divided segments of strand 14 will be sheared by the cooperative shearing action of one tooth 73 and the adjacent cutting edges of teeth 72. Thus several subdivided strand segments will fall in a group severed by one tooth 72 and the corresponding subdividing teeth 73. The points of closely spaced teeth 72 project laterally beyond. the points -of more widely spaced teeth 73, said teeth 72 serving as guards to prevent accidental insertion of the attendants hands into the shears.

Bar 67 and its teeth 73 are reciprocated by means of a driving connection composed of a disk 75 ixedly mounted on shaft `56 (FIGURES 3 and 4) and an arm 76 rockably mounted intermediate it-s ends as at 77 to housing 43a. A pin-slot connection is provided as at 79 between one end of arm 76 and the lower end of the bar 67, the opposite end of said bar being connected eccentrically to said disk 75 as at 80 by a similar pin-slot connection.

The invention also comprises novel means for obtaining an increase in the length of that portion of strand disposed between the replenishing container in position B and the doffed `container in position C, that is, the strand portion lying transversely across the path of travel of fingers 47. This increase in length may be provided by either tilting the upper end of the doing container away from the replenishing container or by partially relea-sing the compressed sliver in the lled container as it moves from position B to position C thereby permitting the top of the mass and appended sliver strand portion to move upwardly relative to the top of the replenishing can in position B. Moreover, both of the above-mentioned methods may be employed as indicated in the drawings if desired.

Specifically, the increased length of strand portion 14 by tilting is obtained by providing a sloped bottom section 38a in chute 38 at position C so that the container 22 will slide and tilt by gravity after being moved from position B. In addition to providing an increased length of said strand portion, tilting providing a wider operating clearance for the strand-engaging fingers 47 An increase in the length of said portion of strand 14 may also be obtained 4by securing a horizontal plate 83 at position C and at an elevation also above the bottom surface 21a of coiler he-ad 21. This construction will permit the compressed sliver mass abutting bottom surface 21a to slide horizontally during a container dofling operation and expand vertically against a parallel higher surface 83a `and thereby lengthen that portion of strand 14 between the adjacent containers by an amount substantially equal, but slightly less than, the difference in elevation of surfaces 21a and 83a.

The electro-magnetic control system 44 includes a double-acting relay switch 34, a container actuated switch for actuating switch 84 to start operation of strand positioning mechanism 42 and combined strand subdividing and severing mechanism 43, and a third switch 86 actuated by positioning mechanism 42 to also actu-ate relay switch 84 to stop operation of mechanisms 42 and 43 subsequent to severance yof strand 14.

Switch 85 is positioned adjacent chute 38 above bottom portion 38a and with a portion thereof normally projecting into the path `of a dofiing container 22 at it moves to position C. Switch 85 is also a part of a starting circuit composed of wires 89, and 91, relay 92, wire 93, switch bar 85a, and wires 94 and 95. The abovementioned third switch 86 is a part of a stopping circuit composed of wires 89 and 97, relay 98, wire 99, contact bar 86a of switch '36, and wires 100, 94 and 95. The motor circuit is composed of wires and 95a, motor 53, wire 102, pivoted contact arm 84a of relay switch 84, 4and wires 90 and 89.

The operation of the invention is briefly as follows: Coiler head 21 feeds strand 14 into the container occupying positioin B, and after a predetermined length of strand has been fed as more fully described in said copending patent application, an empty container in position A is pushed to the right in FIGURE 1 to the position B thereby pushing the sliver-receiving filled container to position C as shown. As the dofling container 22 moves past switch 85 (FIGURE 2) the latter switch is closed to energize relay 92 and cause switch arm 84a to move to the closed position shown in FIGURE 8 thereby supplying current to electric motor 53. The motor 53 then drives the positioning mechanism 42 and the subdividing and shearing mechanism 43 to cause the fingers 47 to convey strand 14 transversely, during which the strand is severed to let the severed ends fall between the adjacent containers. After strand severance, the fingers 47 continue to rotate until the stop switch 86 is closed which, in turn, actuates relay 98 to move switch arm 84a to open position thereby stopping motor 53 and its driven mechanisms 42 and 43.

By spreading sliver strand 14 as shown in FIGURE 5 it is subjected to a wider shearing length thereby preventing choking and rendering the severance more gentle without interrupting the operation of the coiler during a container changing operation. Fingers 47 stop at and remain onthe top side of chain 45 until the next dofling cycle.

' If the strand 14 should not be severed when the containers change positions, it will wrap around and tangle with the container in position B and thus making diiiicult the removal of the sliver from the container in the next processing step of the sliver.

What we claim as new and desire to secure `by Letters Patent of the United States is set forth in the following claims:

We claim:

1. In a textile sliver coiler having a coiler head, means for supporting a container in sliver-receiving position beneath said head, means for delivering a continuous strand of said sliver from said head to said sliver-receiving position, means for supporting a second container adjacent said first container, and means for concurrently moving said iirst container out of sliver-receiving position and for moving the second container in said position, apparatus for severing said strand intermediate said containers comprising: means for subdividing said strand into a plurality of groups of spaced cross-sectional segments, shearing means for each of said groups and disposed adjacent said subdividing means, means for moving said strand transversely into engaging position with said subdividing and said shearing means, electro-magnetic means operable upon said concurrent movement of the containers for actuating said strand-moving and shearing means, and a second electro-magnetic means operable upon movement of said moving means beyond said engaging position for rendering inactive said moving and shearing means, said subdividing means including a stationary toothed bar and said shearing means including a second toothed bar movably mounted relative to said first bar, the teeth of said bars being disposed face-to-face and respectively having cooperating shearing edges.

2. In a textile sliver coiler having a coiler head, means for supporting a container in sliver-receiving position beneath said head, means for delivering a continuous strand of said sliver from said head to said sliver-receiving position, means for supporting a second container adjacent said rst container, and means for concurrently moving said first container out of sliver-receiving position and for moving the second container in said position, apparatus for severing said strand intermediate said containers comprising: means for moving said strand in a path transversely of its longitudinal axis, means disposed along said path for subdividing said strand into a plurality of spaced, cross-sectional segments, shearing means disposed along said path adjacent said subdividing means, said subdividing means including a toothed bar and said shearing means including a relatively movable second toothed bar, the teeth of said bars being disposed face-to-face and having cooperating shearing edges respectively, and electromagnetic means operable upon said concurrent movement of the containers for actuating said strand-moving and shearing means.

3. In a textile sliver coiler having a coiler head, means for supporting a container in sliver-receiving position beneath said head, means for delivering a continuous strand of said sliver from said head to said sliver-receiving position, means for supporting a second container adjacent said first container, and means for concurrently moving said rst container out of sliver-receiving position and for moving the second container in said position, apparatus for severing said strand intermediate said containers comprising: means for moving said strand in a path transversely of its longitudinal axis, means disposed along said .path for subdividing said strand into a plurality of groups of spaced cross-sectional segments, and shearing means disposed along said path adjacent said subdividing means, said subdividing and shearing means respectively includof the latter pos1t1on to thereby provide a connecting thereof, means for supporting a vertically disposed can in sliver-receiving position beneath said head, means for supporting a second vertically disposed can alongside said first can, means including said second can and operable concurrently with said head for laterally moving the latter can into sliver-receiving position and said irst can out strand length between the cans, iiXed means disposed laterally adjacent the path of movement of said cans for subdividing a cross-sectional area of said strand length into a plurality of groups of spaced segments, cutting means for each of said subdivided groups and disposed adjacent said subdividing means, and means for moving said strand length transversely into engaging position with said subdividing and cutting means.

5. In a sliver coiler having a coiler head for delivering a continuous sliver strand from the lower portion thereof, a container having an upper open end, means for supporting the upper open end of said container vertically in sliver-receiving position beneath said head, a second container having an upper open end, means for supporting said second container in upright position alongside said rst container, means operable concurrently with said head for moving said rst and second containers laterally and contiguously to replace the first container with the second whereby a connecting sliver strand segment will extend between and over the upper container ends, means operable upon said container movement for tilting the upper end of the iirst container away from the second container to lengthen said segment, fixed means disposed laterally adjacent the path of movement of said containers for subdividing a cross-sectional area of said segment, means for moving said segment transversely into engagement with said ixed means, and shearing means cooperating with said xed means and disposed laterally adjacent the path of movement of the containers away from the upper end of the replacing container.

6. In a textile sliver coiler having a coiler head for delivering a continuous sliver strand from the lower portion thereof, a container having a bottom and an upper open end, means for supporting the bottom and the upper open end of said container in a fixed vertically spaced positron beneath said head whereby a mass of the delivered sliver of an over-filled container will be compressed between said head and container bottom, a second container havmg an upper open end, means for supporting said second container in upright position alongside said iirst container, means operable concurrently with said coiler head for laterally moving said rst container contiguously with said second container and from beneath said head to .permit upward expansion of said compressed sliver mass and to provide an upwardly and laterally inclined segment of said strand connecting the upper ends of the second container with the upwardly expanded sliver mass, means operable upon the formation of said segment for transversely shearing the latter, and means for limiting the upward expansion of said sliver mass in the laterally moved first container.

7. In a textile sliver coiler having a coiler head for delivering a continuous sliver strand from the lower portion thereof, a container having a .bottom and an upper open end, means for supporting the bottom and the upper open end of said container in a fixed vertically spaced position beneath said head whereby a mass of the delivered sliver of an over-lled container will be compressed between said head and container bottom, a second container having an upper open end, means for supporting said second container in upright position alongside said first container, means operable concurrently with said 7 Coiler head for laterally moving said first container `contiguously with said second container and from beneath said head to permit upward expansion of said compressed sliver mass and to provide an upwardly and laterally inclined segment of said strand connecting the upper ends of the second container with the upwardly expanded sliver mass, means operable upon the formation of said segment for transversely shearing the latter, and means operable concurrently with said lateral container movement for tilting` the upper end of the rst container away from said coiler head to reduce the inclination of said sliver segment.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,134,144 5/1964 Still 19--159 5 3,145,607 8/1964 Geary 83-582 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,015,240 12/1965 England 19-159 1,362,599 4/1964 France 19-159 10 MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

I. C. WADDEY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A TEXTILE SILVER COILER HAVING A COILER HEAD, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING A CONTAINER IN SILVER-RECEIVING POSITION BENEATH SAID HEAD, MEANS FOR DELIVERING A CONTINUOUS STRAND OF SAID SLIVER FROM SAID HEAD TO SAID SILVER-RECEIVING POSITION, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING A SECOND CONTAINER ADJACENT SAID FIRST CONTAINER, AND MEANS FOR CONCURRENTLY MOVING SAID FIRST CONTAINER OUT OF SILVER-RECEIVING POSITION AND FOR MOVING THE SECOND CONTAINER IN SAID POSITION, APPARATUS FOR SEVERING SAID STRAND INTERMEDIATE SAID CONTAINERS COMPRISING: MEANS FOR SUBDIVIDING SAID STRAND INTO A PLURALITY OF GROUPS OF SPACED CROSS-SECTIONAL SEGMENTS, SHEARING MEANS FOR EACH OF SAID GROUPS AND DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID SUBDIVIDING MEANS, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID STRAND TRANSVERSELY INTO ENGAGING POSITION WITH SAID SUBDIVIDING AND SAID SHEARING MEANS, ELECTRO-MAGNETIC MEANS OPERABLE UPON SAID CONCURRENT MOVEMENT OF THE CONTAINERS FOR ACTUATING SAID STRAND-MOVING AND SHEARING MEANS, AND A SECOND ELECTRO-MAGNETIC MEANS OPERABLE UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID MOVING MEANS BEYOND SAID ENGAGING POSITION FOR RENDERING INACTIVE SAID MOVING AND SHEARING MEANS, SAID SUBDIVIDING MEANS INCLUDING A STATIONARY TOOTHED BAR MOVSAID SHEARING MEANS INCLUDING A SECOND TOOTHED BAR MOVABLY MOUNTED RELATIVE TO SAID FIRST BAR, THE TEETH OF SAID BARS BEING DISPOSED FACE-TO-FACE AND RESPECTIVELY HAVING COOPERATING SHEARING EDGES. 